Crostini with Tomatoes and Whipped Feta
Serves: 20-25 crostini
 
Ingredients
  • 6 ounces good feta cheese , crumbled
  • 2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • ½ cup olive oil, divided
  • 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons minced shallot (~1 large)
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
  • 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, ½ inch diced
  • 3 Tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving
  • 20-25 diagonal baguette slices (1/2 inch thick), toasted (see notes)
Instructions
  1. Place feta and cream cheese in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse until cheeses are mixed.
  2. Add ¼ cup olive oil, lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon black pepper and process until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
  3. For the tomato topping (up to an hour before serving) combine shallots, garlic and vinegar in a medium bowl. Set aside 5 minutes to allow shallots to absorb vinegar.
  4. Whisk in remaining ¼ cup olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add tomatoes and stir gently. Stir in basil and taste for seasoning.
  5. To assemble: spread each baguette slice with a generous amount of whipped feta. With a slotted spoon, place some tomatoes on top. Garnish with additional chopped basil and serve.
Notes
For the crostini, I just cut a baguette in ½ inch slices, brush with olive oil and toast on a cookie sheet for ~7-9 minutes at 350 degrees or until lightly browned around the edges but still soft in the center. Easy recipe to cut in half if you are not serving for a large crowd.



Recipe source: adapted from Ina Garten via Oprah Magazine
Recipe by Nutritious Eats at https://www.nutritiouseats.com/crostini-with-whipped-feta-and-tomatoes/